Q&A: Bicycle riding with baby?

I’m in the market for a bicycle-mounted seat or trailer. Which one is the safest for infants? My baby is 9 months old and big for her age. She looks ready to ride.

We don’t think she’s quite ready yet. If you’re shopping for a bicycle trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat, wait out this purchase until your baby is at least 1 year of age (which is technically toddler territory). We don’t recommend bicycle trailers and bicycle-mounted seats for children younger than that because they may not be physically equipped to withstand the forces they’ll be exposed to when riding in a bicycle seat or trailer. And when they’re younger than age 1, they can’t be properly fitted for a helmet, which all riders should wear. But after that, the coast is clear. Here, some shopping tips:

Take a trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat for a test ride. Put some weight in it if you test it at the store. Don’t test-drive it with your child in it. Save that for home, after you’ve selected a seat, installed it according to manufacturer’s directions, and feel comfortable with it. Bring your child along when you shop, though, just to see if the seat or the cockpit is a good fit. If you can’t test drive at the store, borrow a friend’s bicycle trailer or mounted bicycle seat and take it for a spin with weight in it, such as a sack of potatoes (not your child).

Buy for your bike. In our informal tests, some bicycle trailers couldn’t be mounted on bicycles with disc brakes, and some bicycle-mounted seats couldn’t be used on bicycles with oversize tubes. The Wee Ride 98055, for example, a seat that mounts in the center front of an adult bike, could only be mounted on bikes with a small head tube, the metal tube between the handle bars and the front forks. So keep compatibility in mind when you’re shopping.

Avoid buying a trailer or bicycle-mounted seat that you’re not able to examine carefully, such as one sold exclusively over the Internet. Keep your receipt and the trailer or mounted seat’s packaging in case you discover a fitting problem when you get home.

Consider your cycling ability. The added weight of a little passenger in a bicycle-mounted seat can be unnerving or annoying depending on your cycling expertise.  Towing a bicycle trailer will also test your cycling ability and you may feel like a beast of burden once the weight of the trailer and passenger(s) exceeds 50 pounds. 

For more information, see our report on bike seats and trailers for children including features to consider.

Baby-proofing the bathroom

Babies and toddlers love water, which makes the bathroom a big draw. They may also accompany or follow you in there several times a day, which gives them ample opportunity to case the joint for fun things to do when you’re not looking. To keep your child safe from bathroom risks, try these tactics:

Set boundaries. Keep bathroom doors securely closed or blocked off with a gate. You may also want to cover the inside door lock with duct tape to keep your child from locking you out. Install doorknobs that have a hole on the outside through which you can push a thin rod or screwdriver to disengage the lock in case your child gets locked inside the bathroom.

Be hands-on at bathtime. When using a baby bathtub, always keep a hand on your baby. As we’ve mentioned, never use a bath seat or bath ring; there have been numerous reports of babies drowning in them when their parents left them unattended, even momentarily. Never leave the room to answer the phone when your child is taking a bath—let your answering machine take your calls. You don’t want any distractions during bath time. Before using your regular bathtub for bathing a toddler, attach rubber strips to the surface to prevent slipping. Get a cover for the bathtub’s spout to protect your child from its heat-conducting metal and hard edges. A bonus: Many come in fun animal shapes.

Remove electrical devices. Store all electrical devices, such as curling irons and hair dryers, in a high cupboard outside the bathroom.

Secure the medicine cabinet. Install a lock on the medicine cabinet well out of your child’s reach. You can also store medications in a childproof, locked box kept on a high shelf outside the bathroom. (The high humidity in a bathroom makes it a less-than-ideal place to store medicines, anyway.) Put vitamin supplements out of reach, too—iron pills and vitamins containing iron are leading child poisoners. Keep prescription and over-the-counter drugs and any vitamin supplements in their original, child-resistant packaging. Discard expired drugs in their child-resistant packaging; don't just empty the contents in the garbage.

Lock the lid. Toilets pose a risk of drowning to curious infants and toddlers, so install a device to lock the lid of the adult toilet to keep baby out. We tested the KidCo Toilet Seat Lock, $15, which installs in about 10 minutes. A spring-loaded arm swings out over the toilet lid when closed and locks in place. But, of course, adults have to remember to close the lid after use. The design is an improvement over earlier ones we've seen. Children older than 3 or 4 will probably learn how to overcome it, and the lock may not be as effective on padded toilet seats or unconventional toilets.

Also, if you soak cloth diapers, make sure the diaper pail has a tamper-proof lid with a solid locking device to eliminate a drowning hazard. If you use deodorizing tablets, store them out of reach of children. Some can be poisonous if ingested.

See our full report on keeping baby safe in the bathroom for more information. And our report on keeping baby safe discusses childproofing throughout your home.

Baby bottle and food warmers recalled by Munchkin due to fire hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a voluntary recall of about 5,000 Munchkin Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmers. The warmers can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Munchkin has received nine reports of units overheating, several of which ignited, causing damage to countertops. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves the Munchkin Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmer with Pacifier Cleaning Basket 2-in-1 Design, model #13301 and lot number TP-1487. The product is used to warm food and bottles of various sizes. The set includes a main basket, a lift-out basket, an adapter ring, and a measuring cup. “Munchkin” is located on the front of the warmer and “TP-1487” is located on the bottom. Only warmers bearing lot number “TP-1487” are included in this recall.

The warmers were manufactured in China and sold at various retailers nationwide and through the company’s catalog from June 2007 through April 2008 for about $20. Consumers should stop using bottle and food warmers with lot number TP-1487 immediately and contact Munchkin to receive a free replacement. For additional information, contact customer service toll-free at (866) 619-8673 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.munchkin.com.

Bouncer-seat safety

Nearly 2,000 infants are injured each year in bouncer seats. Here’s how to protect your newborn from getting hurt:

Stick to the weight limit. Manufacturers suggest an upper seat weight limit, usually ranging from 18 to 30 pounds. Putting a child who is over the weight limit into the seat can make it prone to tipping.

Stop using a bouncer seat as soon as your baby can sit up unassisted if the bouncer is not designed to be used by toddlers (some are); check the manufacturer’s recommendations. 

Never use a bouncer seat as a car seat.

Put the seat on the floor. Never use it on an elevated surface, such as a table, where the baby’s movement could rock it to the edge, or on a soft surface, such as a bed, or sofa, pillow, or cushion. The seat may tip and soft surfaces are a suffocation hazard.

Don’t carry your baby while he’s in the bouncer, even if it has a carrying handle, and never use the toy bar as a handle.

Always keep a close eye on your baby, even if you think she’s completely safe and secure in the bouncer seat.

Make sure the bouncer you select doesn’t have any sharp edges.

Always secure your baby with the bouncer’s 3 or 5-point safety harness.

Don’t use a bouncer seat that’s damaged or broken.

Don’t park your baby in a bouncer. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that babies who spend excessive time in bouncers (and car seats) may be prone to positional plagiocephaly (also called flattened head syndrome), a persistent flat spot in the back or on one side of the head. The AAP doesn’t say how much is too much, so use your best judgment. No more than 30 minutes at a shot seems reasonable to us. Don’t substitute a bouncer seat for cuddle time.

See our full report on bouncer seats for features to consider, bouncer-seat safety, and Ratings (for subscribers).

Children’s Web sites may be fun, but may also make kids cry

Publishers of many major children’s Web sites should do a better job of disclosing sales and advertising information to parents, especially as more kids at younger ages go online to play and meet friends, says a study released today by Consumer Reports WebWatch and the Mediatech Foundation of Flemington, N.J.

For the study, parents in 10 families used video cameras to keep journals, providing insights into the way children use sites such as Barbie.com, Club Penguin, Nick Jr., Webkinz, and others. Footage from those journals illustrates how young children respond to advertising and marketing tactics online.

The study, “Like Taking Candy from a Baby: How Young Children Interact with Online Environments,” (PDF download) used ethnographic methods and focused on young children ages 2½ to 8.

Some key findings:

•    Children as young as 2 ½ years of age are able to go online.

•    The most popular young children’s sites are moderately to heavily commercialized. When rated by our test parents on a scale from 1 (not commercialized) to 5 (extremely commercialized), the 21 sites considered in this study scored a mean rating of 3.35.

•    Web sites frequently tantalize children, presenting enticing options and even threats that their online creations will become inaccessible unless a purchase is made. Some sites show attractive options that invite a click, but lead to a registration form instead. Some sell a child’s prior experience--a room they’ve built for a virtual pet, for instance--back to them, using statements such as, “If you cancel your membership, then your belongings will go into storage and will be automatically retrieved when you re-subscribe.”

•    Most sites we observed promote the idea of consumerism. The most common technique uses a reward-for-work basis, awarding “points, coins or dollars” for success and achievement that can then be used to “buy” items such as clothing, makeup, big-screen TVs or other accessories for virtual pets or avatars.

•    The games we observed vary widely in quality, in educational value, and in their developmental match with children’s abilities. Such mismatches often result in frequent cries for help.

What can you do to protect your kids online? Here are some of the study’s recommendations:

•    Keep an eye on the screen. Set up the home computer in a central location so you can see what your child is doing. Lend a hand or suggest an activity that matches your child’s interests or abilities and pay attention to the directions his or her activities take.

•    Be suspicious of “free” offers. As in the real world, free lunches are rare, and this is a concept children can’t understand. Don’t expect young children (and many adults) to understand the well-worn caution: “If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.”          

•    Read before you click. Before you or your children click on the “I agree” button, scour terms-of-use agreements and privacy policies to make sure you aren’t agreeing to share information you don’t want known. At worst, publishers make such disclosures inconvenient to read and awkward, so you are tempted to click an agreement and move on. Those emotions can be amplified when you have an anxious toddler pressing you. Also, don’t download software before verifying it won’t alter your computer’s settings.

Outward Bound: Childproofing the basement, driveway, and garage

Childproofing is an inside and an outside job, especially when your child becomes mobile. Here are some quick tips to keep the basement, driveway, and garage safe for a curious toddler.

Basement

--Reduce the setting of your hot-water heater to 120° F. An infant’s skin burns much more easily than an adult’s.

--Install a lock as high as you can reach on both the front and back of the basement door to prevent falls down the stairs. Make sure stairs are well lit and keep all clutter and toys off steps.

Driveway

--Don’t ever let children play in the driveway unattended.

--Don’t purchase a riding toy until you’re certain your child is mature enough to use it safely. Models with a removable push bar and a three point safety harness are a good idea if your child is under age 2. Attach a tall flag on the back of a tricycle so it’s visible to motorists. The lower it is to the ground, the safer a wheeled toy is. Always supervise a child when riding. Be sure your child has a safe riding area, where she can navigate without the risk of going into traffic, down steep hills, on steps, or into driveways. If there’s no safe place to ride, use a riding toy only for visits to the park. To keep children away from the garage, store tricycles and ride-on toys in the house instead. And if a riding toy has a battery that is rechargeable, plug it directly into a wall socket and don’t allow your child to sit on it while the battery is recharging.

Garage

--Make your workbench off-limits, whether you’re working there or not. Lock up power tools and all small or sharp objects.

--Install a lock on the door leading outside or to the garage.

--Test an electric garage-door opener’s sensitivity by placing a 2-inch-high block of wood or foam on the floor in the door’s path. If the door doesn’t reverse direction and go up, don’t use the garage door opener. Instead, open and close the door manually, or replace the garage door opener. In addition to reversing when they come in contact with something, most openers are equipped with optical sensors that prevent the garage door from closing if a child or anything else gets in the way.

--Store matches, antifreeze, charcoal lighter fluid, windshield wiper fluid, gasoline, and oil as you would medicine--in their original containers out of your child’s sight and reach in a locked cabinet. Dilute any antifreeze spills by hosing them off. Antifreeze can contain ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that smells and tastes sweet. It’s particularly hazardous to children or pets that may lick it off driveways and garage floors. (It happens.)

For more ideas on keeping your children safe throughout your home, see our complete report on childproofing.

Car seat timeline

From birth until your child reaches a height of 4 feet, 9 inches, he or she will potentially go through several car seats: an infant car seat, a convertible car seat, a front-facing only car seat, and ultimately a belt-positioning booster or booster seat before being ready for the vehicle belts alone. But which seat should you use when? Use this guide to gauge when it’s time to sit tight or move up to the next level.

Infant car seat: Use an infant car seat (always rear-facing) from birth until your baby reaches the seat’s height and weight limits. Weight limits are typically 22 pounds, but sometimes higher depending on the model. Weight limits are listed on the seat itself as well as in the instruction manual. When your baby reaches the seat’s limits, which may be as soon as 6 to 9 months of age, you’ll need to switch to a convertible car seat in order to keep them rear facing at least until their first birthday.

Convertible seat: Use a convertible car seat rear-facing until your baby is at least 1 year old and weighs 22 pounds or more. Some convertible seats can be used in the rear-facing position up to 30 to 35 pounds, and research shows that babies are safest in a rear facing orientation so it’s best to keep them that way as long as you can. When your baby reaches a convertible seat’s height and weight limits in the rear-facing mode, switch the seat around, and use it front-facing until your toddler reaches the height and weight limits for the forward-facing seat. Weight limits for most are generally up to 40 pounds, though more and more convertible models have weight limits up to 65 pounds or more.

Forward-facing only seat: As an alternative to a front-facing convertible seat, some seats are forward-facing only. This front-facing only seat is used with an internal harness for toddlers typically between 20 to 40 pounds, though again some models can be used with the internal harness at higher weights. The internal harness can then be removed and the forward-facing seat can be used as a belt-positioning booster from 60 to 80 pounds, depending on the model.

Belt-positioning booster seat or booster seat: When your child reaches the weight and height limits of the harness system of either their convertible or front-facing only seat, it’s time for a belt-positioning or standard booster seat for your child. Boosters raise the child up in the vehicle seat to allow the seatbelt to pass correctly across their sternum (not their necks) and low across the child’s upper thigh area (not their abdomen). Both use the vehicle’s own safety belt to restrain the child, but belt positioning models also have some sort of belt guide to better position the seat belts over a child’s shoulders.

Your car’s seat belts solo: When your child is tall enough to use the car’s safety belts, typically at least 57 inches and between 8 and 12 years old, and can ride comfortably seated in the vehicle’s seat, she can ride with just a car’s safety belts. Even with a seat belt, all children under age 13 should ride in the back seat.

See our latest car seat ratings.

Backpack carrier basics

A backpack carrier lets you travel in ways you never thought possible with a baby, including rugged, backcountry hiking and snow shoeing. But it can also be used for smaller, less exotic trips to the mall, the zoo, or even Disney World. Thinking about getting a carrier? Here are five things to keep in mind before and while you’re shopping.

Hold off on this purchase. If your baby is a newborn, there’s no need to buy a carrier just yet. Backpack carriers are intended for children old enough to sit up independently--usually at least 6 months old--up to 40 pounds, plus 10 pounds of gear, depending on the model. The weight of the pack itself can add another 4 to 7 pounds to your load, so consider that when choosing a pack. A heavy carrier might make it more difficult to carry your child.

Bring your baby. When your baby is about 6 months old, take her with you when you’re shopping for a backpack carrier and if your child is game, do test runs in the store to try on carriers for size, fit and comfort. If you expect to be wearing them during colder months, try a backpack with a coat on and your child.

Practice, practice. With the help of a knowledgeable salesperson, try putting the carrier on and taking it off. Have your spouse do likewise to make sure it fits you both comfortably. If you and your spouse will be switching the pack back and forth, adjust the straps to fit your torso so you can see if it’s easy to do (or not). Walk with the backpack to be sure the frame doesn’t hit the back of your head, that it’s not too long for your height, that the straps fit properly so they won’t slip off your shoulders, and that the frame doesn’t start to dig into your lower back after a few minutes. You should be able to walk comfortably with your arms at your sides and carrier directions should be easy to follow.

Look for a snug-fitting safety harness. The safest backpack carriers have a harness for the child that connects the shoulder straps with the crotch, torso, and hip restraints for a snug fit.

Be wary of second-hand equipment. A backpack carrier is something many parents pick up at tag sales. If you decide to buy used, check for recalled brands at the www.cpsc.gov. Inspect carriers for excessive wear, which can dangerously weaken straps and seams.

For more information, see our full report on back pack carriers, which includes features to consider, cautions to take, and Ratings (for subscribers).

The well-dressed baby

Your new baby will need clothes, but how much and what to buy can vary widely, depending on how much you want to purchase yourself, and what you can expect as gifts. Our advice is to buy very little and wait for the baby bounty to arrive from friends and relatives at a baby shower, or after your little one arrives. Don’t worry. Even if this isn’t your first baby, you’re bound to get clothes (gift-givers can’t resist the adorable duds). In the meantime, here’s our just-the-basics list--the minimum to have on hand so you’ll feel prepared:

•    Four sleeping outfits or one-piece sleepers with attached feet. Sleepers and sacks are preferable to covering a baby with blankets, which can be a suffocation hazard. Snug-fitting cotton and flame-resistant sleepwear are the safest choices for children. Loose-fitting sleepwear that’s not made of flame-resistant material is a fire hazard.

•    Six side-snap T-shirts.

•    Four to six one-piece undershirts that snap around the crotch.

•    A small baby cap (although the hospital will probably give you one).

•    Six pairs socks/booties.

•    Two to three soft, comfortable daytime outfits.

•    Cotton sweater or light jacket.

Summer babies

•    Brimmed hat with elasticized chin strap to keep your baby from batting it off.

Winter babies

•    Snowsuit.

•    Warm knit hat with elasticized chin strap.

See our full report on baby clothing for shopping secrets, what's available, and recommendations.

5 features to fret over when selecting a stroller

If you’re stroller shopping, go ahead and register or buy online if you want to. But first, take the models you’re considering for a spin in the store. You’ll learn a lot when you compare maneuverability and see firsthand how easy it is to adjust the backrest, fold, lift and carry the stroller. See if it can be opened and closed with one hand or whether it requires two. You might even take floor-model contenders to your car to see how well they fit in your trunk, which can be a deal breaker. While you’re at it, focusing on these key features can help narrow your selection: 

1. The restraint system. If possible, look for a model with a sturdy five-point harness, which will help keep your baby from slipping out. Some strollers offer only waist and crotch straps, but many offer an adjustable five-point harness (two straps over the shoulders, two for the thighs, and a crotch strap), much like those found in car seats, which help keep a baby or toddler from slipping or falling out should the stroller tip, or climbing out when you're not looking. The straps should be height-adjustable for proper fit, and they should be securely anchored. Most are made of thick nylon webbing. Look for buckles on the harness strap that are easy for you to operate but difficult for small hands to unfasten.

2. Wheels. The larger the wheels, the easier it is to negotiate curbs and rough surfaces. But big wheels eat up trunk space, so if you have a small car, take that into consideration. Pneumatic (air-filled) tires are relatively new in stroller design. You’ll need a pump, which is not supplied with some models. Some manufacturers have created wheel assemblies that can be completely slipped off the frame, which makes it easier to replace a damaged wheel, fix the tire, get it filled, and transport the stroller in compact spaces, such as the trunk of a car.

3. Brakes. Check that any stroller you intend to buy has a good parking brake, one that’s easy to operate and locks one or (preferably) two wheels. Parking brakes on two wheels provide an extra margin of safety. One-touch brakes (a single lever or foot bar that activates both brakes) are a convenient feature.

4. Canopy. To protect your baby from glaring sunlight or inclement weather, a canopy is a must-have. Canopies range from a simple fabric square strung between two wires to deep, pull-down versions that shield almost the entire front of the stroller, when necessary, which is ideal. Some canopies have a clear plastic “peekaboo” window on top so you can keep an eye on your baby while you’re strolling. That’s a nice feature. A canopy that is reversible (it can be rotated all the way to the front of the stroller) is a handy option, too. If you’re walking with the sun in your face, flip the reversible canopy to keep it out of your baby’s eyes; same with the wind. You’ll use these features more than you think.

5. Large storage basket. A roomy, easily accessible storage basket underneath the stroller makes errands with baby much easier. Sizes of baskets vary. Try to choose one that's at least big enough to accommodate a diaper bag. When shopping for a stroller, press on the storage basket's floor--it shouldn't drag on the ground when loaded. Make sure you can access the basket easily, even with a bulky item like a diaper bag in there, and when the stroller seat is fully reclined.

For more information, see our stroller overview, five common stroller mistakes, and stroller Ratings (for subscribers).